Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) eyes the puck as his team plays the San Jose Sharks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Jim Gensheimer)

Brandon Sutter, Jake Virtanen and Adam Gaudette also scored as the Canucks (9-3-2) won for the ninth time in 12 games.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored a short-handed goal for San Jose (4-10-1), which has lost five straight and seven of eight.

Demko, a 23-year-old former Boston College standout who won the Mike Richter Award for the most outstanding Division I NCAA goalie in 2016, was seeking his first career shutout when Vlasic scored his second goal of the season with just over nine minutes left in the game.

"You can't say enough about the defence." Netminder Thatcher Demko comments on the gritty effort by #Canucks defenders after being down to five defencemen on back-to-back nights. pic.twitter.com/pArzoIHniG

The Sharks’ penalty-killing unit hadn’t given up a goal at home this season in 20 previous disadvantages.

Evander Kane scored his eighth goal for San Jose in the closing seconds.

NOTES: Vancouver rookie D Quinn Hughes was not in the lineup against San Jose after suffering a lower body injury in Friday’s overtime loss to Anaheim… The Canucks recalled D Oscar Fantenberg from Utica of the AHL… Sharks Jonny Brodzinski was out of the lineup with a shoulder injury he suffered in Friday’s Winnipeg game. Coach Pete DeBoer said his status is day-to-day… Referee Francis Charron stayed in the game after being dropped to the ice after being struck in his face by a deflected puck late in the second period.